1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to pipet tubes for taking a sample of a liquid, such as blood from a drop of blood produced by a finger stick, and transferring the liquid sample to apparatus for testing the blood.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art includes a glass blood collection tube which typically is about 3 inches long and about 1/16 inches in diameter. It is manipulated by the user who inserts the intake end of the tube into a drop of blood produced by a finger stick. The tube draws a sample of the blood into the tube by capillary action. He then jabs the intake end of the tube into a block of clay so that a portion of the clay enters the intake end of the tube to form a plug which prevents the blood from running out of the tube while it is being carried to the testing machine.
During this action of jamming or jabbing the intake end of the tube into the clay, it has sometimes happened that the tube breaks and forms jagged edges of glass which cut the fingers of the user of the pipet tube. In some cases, the blood sample has been contaminated with AIDS, and the AIDS infection has entered the bloodstream of the user through the cut made by the jagged edges, and given AIDS to the user. The present invention addresses this problem and provides a solution.